Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels blow out Hokies in ACC Tournament first round

By Blake Cockrum

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 10: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels plays the post against P.J. Horne #14 of the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game in the first round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 10, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 10: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels plays the post against P.J. Horne #14 of the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game in the first round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 10, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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UNC basketball lives to die another day, as Tar Heels top Hokies 78-56 in the first round of the ACC Tournament

Garrison Brooks scored a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists, and North Carolina beat Virginia Tech 78-56 in the first round of the ACC Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Senior shooting guard Brandon Robinson had a spectacular game for the Tar Heels, scoring 17 points and knocking down 5-of-6 three-point attempts. He added six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, and didn’t turn the ball over a single time. Freshman center Armando Bacot had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Cole Anthony added 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Tar Heels shot 46.4 percent from the floor, and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. They converted 19-of-25 free throw attempts, and outrebounded the Hokies by 15. They turned the ball over just eight times in 40 minutes, and assisted on 14 of 26 made buckets.

Virginia Tech was led by Hunter Cattoor, who scored a team-high 14 points off the bench. Reserve guard Jalen Cone added 11 points, while sensational freshman guard Landers Nolley II was held to just 10 points on a 4-for-11 shooting performance.

The Hokies hit just 29 percent of their shots for the game, including a 10-for-36 mark from downtown. They did take good care of the basketball, committing just seven turnovers, but their inability to score and stop the Tar Heels on the glass was just too much to overcome. They finish the regular season with a 16-16 record, and await an invitation to the NIT or CBI.

Next. UNC's Anthony, Brooks earn ACC honors. dark

The Tar Heels, on the other hand, live to die another day. After improving to 14-18 on the season, North Carolina now prepares for a second round game against the Syracuse Orange, a team they beat by 13 points at the Carrier Dome two weeks ago. The game will tip-off at 9:20 p.m. EST time, and Keeping It Heel will have complete leading up to, during and after the game.

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